How to Choose the Right Car Tires

Car tires are important to how your car functions and how your car drives.  Thus, it is important to choose the right tires for your driving habits, for the driving conditions you drive in, and for the car that you own. 

How Often Should Car Tires Be Replaced

Car tires should periodically be checked for wear.  Traditionally, the penny method has been used where when a penny is inserted into the tread, if Lincoln’s head is visible, tires should be replaced.  Additionally, tires can be changed based upon mileage. However, this method can be inaccurate because there are many factors that influence tire wear including initial tire quality, driving habits, and weather.  For tire change based upon mileage, most sources say tires should be replaced every 40,000 miles.  

Consistent Type of Tire is Important

All four of your car tires should be as identical as possible or your car may be harder to handle. If your tires aren’t identical, it is possible that one end of your vehicle won't respond as completely or as fast as the other end of your car. When you need to select a replacement tire for one that has gone bad, it is a good idea to select one that is the same brand, speed rating, and size as the other tires already on your car.  Remember, the ultimate goal is that all of the tires on your car wear out at the same rate and at the same time.  If you start to notice that some of the tires on your car are wearing at a faster rate than the other tires, it is a good idea to find out why.  Many things including incorrect wheel alignment, lack of tire rotation, and loose mechanical parts can cause uneven tire wear.   If there is metal showing on the inner or outer wall of your tires, you should not drive on them.  Consult one of our technicians to find the particular problem with your car tires and get the issue corrected before damage occurs to your newly replaced tires.  

How to Choose the Correct Tire

Is it the correct size designed to carry the weight of your vehicle?  This is one of the first considerations in finding the correct tire for your car.  Tire load is something important to observe because if the tire is overloaded, it will not have the same capacity to respond in an emergency situation.  Tire diameter is another consideration when selecting tires and this factor is amplified by newer cars dependence on computerization.  The cars’ computer is fed data from your tires and if your tires are not the proper diameter for your vehicle, this input data can be eschewed.  One of the main things your tire diameter tells the computer is your cars’ speed.  If the diameter is off, this data may be off too.  Some car owners like the look of larger diameter tires.  In this case, smaller vehicles like cars and vans can have a diameter variation of plus three percent.  Bigger vehicles like pick-ups and sport utility vehicles can have a diameter variation of plus fifteen percent.  If you have questions on how far your cars tire diameter can variate, please ask one of our technicians.